Egg-trapping hens&#39;s nest.



PATENTED AUG. Z7, 1907. F. G'. B. HILKEMEIER.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THF: Nomus paens co., Musi-Immun, n. c.

BGG TRAPPING HENS NEST.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. 1906.

No. 864,645. PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907. P. G. B'. HILKEMEIER. EGG TRAPPING HENSNEST.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Wit" use:

FRIEDRICH C. B. HILKEMEIER, OF TULARE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

EGG-TRAPPING HENS NEST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2'7, 190'?.

Application iiledJnly 19,1906. Serial No. 326,955.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH C. B. IIILKnMEmn, a

citizen ol the United States, residing at Tulare, in the county oi Spi nk, State oi South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Trapping Hens Nesls, and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear,` and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to hens nests in which the eggs are, immediately upon being laid, trapped into a compartment separate from the nest so as to prevent the hen from eating the eggs and to permit the eggs to be gathered without disturbing a hen that might happen to be on the nest.

It is the object of my invention to provide a trap nest that shall be ol a construction similar to that that a hen would naturally make for herself, and at the same time be exceedingly simple and of little cost to make.

Moreover, it is Iny object to provide a nest of such construction that there will be no liability of the breakage oi eggs in trapping them into the collection chamber.

Itis well known by those who understand the raising of poultry and the habits of hens that some hens will not sit upon and lay eggs in nests that are distinctly artificial; that they select, when left to themselves7 nests in hay and straw, il they can iind it, and that oftentimes, when they cannot iind a nest of hay or straw they will drop their eggs on the ground, when they will either themselves eat them or they will be eaten by other hens or fowls. Taking advantage of this fact, it is made one of the primary ends of my improvements to have the lining of the nest made of hay or straw.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which,

Figure l is a plan of the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the egg-collecting chamber adjacent to the partition, looking toward the latter. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the nest chamber. Fig. i is a vertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a plan of the device, showing its form when made of sheet metal. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view oi a modified form. Fig. 7 is an enlarged section detail view, showing the manner in which the hay or straw is supported to line the nest and afford a curtain between the nest and egg-collecting chamber.

Similar iigures oi reference designate similar parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

In the drawings, l0 designates a box that may be made of wood or sheet metal, of suitable size, and of rectangular form, if made of wood, or with rounded ends somewhat like a common wash-boiler, if made ol sheet metal, or it may be of any other suitable shape.

Considering the wooden box shown in Figs. l to 4 inclusive, it is divided into a nest compartment 1l and an egg-collecting chamber l2 by a partition 11,3 that extends from the top scarcely hali-way down toward the bottom oi the box. The division into two compartments by the partition I3 leaves the nest chamber larger than the egg-collecting chamber l2, it not being necessary to make the latter as large as the iormer. Into the chamber l2, so ormed, I place a little hay or straw so that the eggs will not be broken by being dropped or rolled on a hard bottom. The nest in the nest compartment I make and line with coarse hay or soit straw 1.4-, tied to a cross-slat lll or other means at the top of the nest, and arranged on the partition side so as to hang down below the bottom. of the partition, completing the latter between the nest and the eggcollecting compartment. On the opposite side ol the nest from the partition the hay 14 extends from the top of the box where it is made iast down the sides, on the bottom and under the pendent ends ol the hay at the partition into lthe egg-collecting chamber. The bottom of the nest will be formed so that it will incline toward Athe bottom of the partition ier a reason to be presently ends I4 forming the bottom part of the partition onto the hay in the egg-collecting compartment l2.

In Fig. 7, there is shown on an enlarged scale the position of the slat orrod le relatively to the side of the box l0 to which it may be nailed, and the hay or straw 14 that forms the lining to the nest and the curtain hanging below the partition 13. The hay or straw I4 is simply hung upon the slat or rod 14; and left to depend therefrom to line the sides oi the nest and form the curtain as stated. Oi course the lining for the bottom of the nest may be placed therein and connected with the hay hanging from. the slats by becoming entangled therewith.

The top of the egg-collecting compartment l2 may be closed by a hinged cover or lid l7 through which the eggs may be gathered from the chamber or compait ment l2, or an opening may be lelft in the side oi the chamber l2, closed by a door IS, by which access can be had to the eggs to gather them without disturbing a hen on the nest.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. G and 7, there is a nest in each end of the box and a single eggcollection chamber or both. constructed between them. Otherwise the construction is the same as that shown with reierenee to Figs. l to l inclusive.

Under these improvements a trap-nest is easily and cheaply made, and being formed of and lined with hay it may be easily renovated and replenished when required. The portion of the partition formed of hay l may check the force ot the egg as it rolls down from the What is Claimed its the invention7 is An egg-trapping hens nest consisting of a box provided with at rigid partition extending from 'the top :i short Way down toward the bottom, dividingl the box into a nest and :1n eggweceiving compartment, hay secured to the top of the nest compartment forming the nest lining;y ho1- tom of the nest, and bottom of the egg-receiving compartment, the hzfy also dependingfrom the top of the nest below the rigid partition to or nearly to the bottom of the box completing the partition :1nd forming zt eurtnin Serving to hide tho eggs in the egg-receiving chambery but permittingl the fresh-luid eggs to roll through it without danger of bl'ezilmg'e into the histnnentione chamber.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDRICH C. B. HILKEMEIER.

Witnesses A. Looms, H. N. looL. 

